


A Sanzo Ikkou Christmas

by lisainthesky



Category: Saiyuki
Genre: Christmas, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Tooth Rotting Fluff, and nothing else
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-02
Updated: 2016-01-02
Packaged: 2018-05-11 04:19:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5613700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lisainthesky/pseuds/lisainthesky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They've been doing Christmas together for years and really they all like it way more than they'll admit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Sanzo Ikkou Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt fill for Cris for the fyeahsaiyuki fic/art exchange on tumblr. (I'm kinda late, and really sorry.) She requested "Goku being cute (while annoying Sanzo is optional), Gojyo and Hakkai putting up christmas decorations or Goku and Sanzo instead or all together. Goku petting hakuryuu, Christmas feelings."
> 
> This is literally nothing but Christmas-themed fluff. If that's not your thing then I feel bad for you, son. It was exactly what I wanted to write when I signed up for the exchange, and hopefully what you wanted, Cris. It's mostly unbeta'd because I procrastinate (again so sorry!!!). Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

"So we're putting up Christmas decorations on Thursday," Gojyo says from under Sanzo's car.

"And?" Sanzo doesn't even look up from his newspaper.

"And you're expected to be there, asshole."

Sanzo snorts. "I'm an atheist."

Gojyo scoffs right back at him. "So am I. It's Christmas, it's only barely religious by name."

"Well, why should I help you idiots decorate for your stupid holiday?"

Gojyo's hand appears from under the car, middle finger extended. "One, I'm changing the oil in your car, and it's the middle of December. I'm not a mechanic, and this is the easiest fucking thing. Seriously, even you could handle it, princess." Sanzo aims a kick at his legs. Gojyo ignores it, lifting his index finger. "Two, Hakkai's gonna make like forty different kinds of cookies, and don't even try to tell me you don't care because we all know you have the biggest sweet tooth, and you won't get any if you're not there because we won't send any home with Goku. And, three, if you don't show, you'll only get guilt tripped about it until approximately forever. Now hand me the filter wrench."

Sanzo hands it to him without making him pause to point it out or explain it. It's amusing to watch Gojyo wiggle in and out from under the car, but they've been doing this long enough that pretending he doesn't know which tool it is would only make Sanzo look stupid, and that's unacceptable.

"Why would I change my own oil when you do it for free, moron?" He grumbles.

Unfortunately, Gojyo is also right about the cookies and the guilt trip, so Sanzo just grumbles when Gojyo says, "See you on Thursday" after he's finished with the oil change.

\-----

Goku's balanced on the railing of Gojyo and Hakkai's little balcony, stringing lights on the wall, when Sanzo arrives. He's late, of course, but really that just means he wants to be there. He's calculatedly late, just enough to give the impression that he didn't want to come. It's an illusion that only Sanzo is actually a victim to, ironically. The three of them let him have it.

"I'm not driving you to the hospital if you fall and break your neck, moron," Sanzo says from the door. 

Goku beams at him. "Okay. Merry Christmas, Sanzo."

Sanzo scowls and shuts the door again. Goku finishes with the lights outside and darts back in to help with the tree. Sanzo is setting little Santas and stars and miniature toys on the mantle. He does it every year, because he's totally anal about the colors and the way they're organized. Gojyo is wrapping what looks like a fourth string of lights around the tree, crooning along with Elvis singing _White Christmas._ The whole house smells of cookies, thanks to Hakkai basically turning into some kind of baking machine. It's _awesome._

Goku moves further in and starts on the ornaments for the tree.

"Comin' through," Gojyo announces cheerfully, looping the lights around the tree on Goku's side. Goku turns just in time to avoid an elbow to the head.

"Watch it!" 

"You're in the way." Gojyo shoots him a smirk and shrugs, tucking the light strand into the branches.

Goku wrinkles his nose at him. "You're the ones who wanted help decorating."

"Doesn't mean you gotta put your fat head right in the middle of things."

"I'll put my fat head exactly here I wanna!" Goku leans over and head-butts Gojyo's shoulder. Gojyo drops the light strand immediately and grabs him in a headlock.

"You asked for it, tiny!" 

A scuffle ensues, naturally. Sanzo growls at them and kicks them away from his box of ornaments and the fire place, complaining loudly. Hakkai laughs at them from the kitchen. They stop rough housing when Sanzo threatens them with a fire poker.

Red-faced and panting, they return to the tree. They laugh and make faces at each other across the branches. Gojyo finishes with the lights and starts on tinsel. He isn't any more careful with his elbows, but every time he clips Goku with one, Goku throws one back into his ribs.

The tree is finished just as Hakkai calls them to the kitchen for dinner. 

"Cookies for dinner, right, Hakkai?" Goku asks, bounding in ahead of the others.

Hakkai laughs. "Of course. After your soup."

Goku sighs and pouts but it's pretty half-hearted because Hakkai's soup is amazing. Everything Hakkai makes is amazing, and Goku is eternally jealous that Gojyo lives with him, and also really glad they have a second bedroom in this condo.

"Hey Goku, wanna have a snowball fight after dinner?" Gojyo asks, lounging across from him.

"You're gonna get your ass kicked," Goku promises.

"Ha! Bring it, punk. Hakkai's on my team."

"That's not fair! Sanzo, you'll have to be on my team then."

"No way, idiot."

"Aw, come on, Sanzo! Hakkai will make us hot chocolate afterwards!" Goku looks at Hakkai. "Right?"

"Well, I suppose if I'm participating in the battle, yes." He gives Gojyo a bemused look and Gojyo just grins back.

"Come on Sanzo! We'll kick their asses."

"I can have hot chocolate whenever the hell I want."

"But not _Hakkai's_ hot chocolate." Hakkai's hot chocolate is made from scratch and tastes like heaven and sunshine and everything good in the world, and Sanzo knows it.

"I'm afraid only warriors are worthy of hot chocolate, Sanzo," Hakkai says. Sanzo shoots him a withering glare that does nothing to diminish his serene smile. 

"I hate you all," Sanzo mutters, which is as close to a yes as they'll get in this case.

They all eat way too many cookies after dinner, so by the time they actually get out into the little courtyard, the sun is down and the lights are on, casting everything in rainbow colors from the lights up around the complex. Goku whoops into the stillness, plowing through the ankle-deep snow. He flops down to make a snow angel, and when he gets up to look at it, a snowball pelts him in the back of the head.

"Come on, short stuff!" Gojyo yells when Goku turns to him.

"That's cheating!"

"All's fair in love and--" He's cut off when Sanzo hits him in the side of the head with a snowball. He's smirking and already rolling up another.

Goku whoops again and yells, "It's on!" and starts gathering snow.

It's not a very long fight, but it's vicious and leaves all of them red faced, panting, and covered in snow. There's icy water dripping below Goku's collar and into his shoes when he flops onto snow next to Gojyo, who took a snowball to the face from Sanzo while covering Hakkai and decided he just wasn't going to get up again. He's laughing, and Goku is too. Hakkai comes and lays himself at an angle to them, and after a minute Sanzo does too.

"Well, I think we won," Gojyo says, lighting a cigarette.

"You died first, that means we won," Goku says.

"You’re a quitter," Sanzo says, holding out a cigarette for Gojyo to light.

"I saved Hakkai's _life,"_ Gojyo says seriously. Sanzo snorts.

"You’re very brave," Hakkai says, chuckling. "My hero."

"He's obligated to say that," Goku says.

"Hey, that word has four syllables, Goku, you sure you know how to use it?" Gojyo flings an arm at him.

Goku throws a little snow back. "Fuck you, I'm in college. I'm smarter'n you are, asshat."

"I run a business! I'm probably the smartest person you know."

_"Hakkai_ runs your business," Sanzo puts in. "Don't kid yourself. You're just hired muscle."

"Oh yeah, then why's my name on all the documents, dick?"

"Clerical error," Sanzo sniffs.

"I think we can all agree," Hakkai says amiably, "That I'm the smartest person any of us know, and leave it at that."

Gojyo laughs a little and agrees. Sanzo grumbles something about choosing Gojyo for a partner, but leaves it alone. Goku just grins, blowing a foggy breath at the dark sky.

"S'alright," he says. "I like all of ya no matter how stupid y'are."

There's a moment of silence, and then Gojyo starts to laugh, and Hakkai joins in, and even Sanzo huffs out a surprised noise that's probably a laugh. He's almost smiling when Goku looks at him.

"I don't have a come back," Gojyo says in between giggles. "Good one kid."

Goku grins. "We're comin' back on Christmas Eve, right?"

"Of course," Gojyo says. Sanzo grunts.

"Pizza or Chinese for dinner?" Hakkai asks.

"Both!"

"Only if you're paying, punk."

"I already bought ya' presents, I'm a broke college kid, I can't afford anymore." He tilts his head up and pouts at Gojyo and Hakkai. Gojyo snorts. 

"We'll get a few pizzas," Hakkai says. "And there will be cookies."

Goku smiles and settles back into the snow. "Alright." It doesn't really matter what they eat, he thinks. He doesn't drag Sanzo over here for the food, but for the lights and the sounds and the smells and the oldest friends he's got. Goku's not sure he could really ever need anything else, Christmas or not.

(Hakkai's cooking is just a really awesome bonus.)

\-----

Hakkai is already awake on Christmas Eve when Gojyo opens his eyes, of course. It's not even that late, but Hakkai likes to get pies baking and prep things for dinner tomorrow. The house already smells like pie.

Gojyo smiles and stretches slowly before getting up. It probably won't work, but if he's lucky he'll be able to sneak bits of pie crust for breakfast, maybe some of the apple filling. The back of his hand will probably go red and tingly from being slapped with a spoon because Hakkai is a vicious bastard, but it's worth it. 

Hakkai's humming tunelessly and swaying slightly while he rolls out pie dough. Gojyo scoots in behind him and wraps his arms around Hakkai's waist, burying his nose behind Hakkai's ear.

"Good morning," Hakkai says. "There's coffee. Do you want some eggs?"

Gojyo hums and nips the shell of Hakkai's ear. "I'd rather have some sugar."

Hakkai laughs. "That's a terrible line, Gojyo," he says, but he turns and puts floury hands on Gojyo's shoulder and neck and kisses him gently. Gojyo hums again and leans into him, pulling their hips together. Hakkai extricates himself gently with one last kiss.

"Do you want some eggs?" He repeats.

Gojyo pouts. "No." He steals one more kiss and then a piece of pie crust, popping it in his mouth before Hakkai can stop him. Hakkai slaps his hand in retaliation. Gojyo grins. "I can make my own eggs, you're busy." He lets Hakkai go reluctantly and pours himself some coffee and starts on his breakfast.

"What'dja get me for Christmas?" Gojyo asks as he sits down with his eggs.

"Nothing," Hakkai says amiably.

"Liar."

"Well, you'll have to wait and see, won't you?"

Gojyo pouts at his back again. This is a conversation they have nearly every morning in December, with little variation. Hakkai refuses to reveal any aspect of his gifts before Christmas morning, and Gojyo hates waiting. Hakkai never even asks what Gojyo got him, which is just - well, it's just so Hakkai, but also totally unfair. 

Sometimes he and Goku can wheedle Sanzo and Hakkai into opening gifts on Christmas Eve. If they were smarter, they'd be planning their attack in advance, but neither of them are that good at thinking ahead, and mostly they end up whining until Sanzo hits them with something and Hakkai takes pity on them.

They like to maintain the status quo.

Once he finishes his breakfast, Gojyo showers and puts on some music and starts helping Hakkai in the kitchen. There's already two apple pies cooling on the counter, and Hakkai is putting the filling into strawberry rhubarb. The pumpkin is on the counter, waiting to go into the oven.

"You're a saint," Gojyo tells him, sneaking a finger into the filling. Hakkai hits his hand with the spoon, and Gojyo licks it. 

"I wouldn't have to make four pies if you and Sanzo weren't so picky," he says. There's no real bite to his voice. Gojyo knows that if it came down to it, he'd make apple and they'd all settle for it, but Hakkai likes baking enough that he's really okay with making different kinds for the two of them.

"You mean if Sanzo didn't like disgusting pie you wouldn't have to make four," Gojyo says, kissing his cheek. "And if Goku weren't a bottomless pit."

Hakkai just laughs. "Would you start chopping vegetables for the stuffing?"

Gojyo gets out the vegetables and is about to start chopping when the doorbell rings and they're treated to Goku hollering _We Wish You A Merry Christmas_ at he top of his lungs outside the door.

"Christ," Gojyo mutters, getting up. "The neighbors'll think he's killing their fucking cat." Hakkai laughs as he heads down the hallway. "I'm coming, I'm coming, knock it off!" 

Goku does stop before Gojyo opens the door, cut off with a yelp, and a whiny, "Sanzo!" Gojyo smirks and opens the door.

"You're the worst carolers ever."

"Fuck you," says Sanzo, scowling.

"Merry Christmas, asshole!" Goku chirps. He's got what looks like all of the presents stacked in his arms, and he starts to push past Gojyo without waiting. Gojyo thinks about knocking all the presents out of his hands, but it's Christmas, and he's an adult, so he doesn't.

"Merry Christmas, monkey," he says instead. Goku beams at him, and as he pushes past Gojyo into the house, he says, "Mistletoe!" And plants one on Gojyo before he can even process it.

"Damn you," he says. "When did that even get there?" He's pretty sure the mistletoe tacked to the doorframe wasn't there yesterday, which means that Hakkai probably put it up this morning. No way he spent almost a week walking past mistletoe every day.

It's a dumb game they play - luring each other under mistletoe wherever they find it and seeing who can get the drop on the other more times in one Christmas season. Gojyo usually wins, because kissing is kind of his thing and Goku's usually too preoccupied with things like food and…well, usually just food. 

"Enabling them, Hakkai?" Sanzo sneers, loud enough that Hakkai could hear from the kitchen. Hakkai laughs again, and Gojyo places the wettest kiss he can on Sanzo's cheek as he walks past. Sanzo snarls and swipes at him. Gojyo laughs and takes the hit, closing the door.

"Merry Christmas, Sanzo." He smirks. "Cute hat." 

It's a knitted cap in dark green, complete with ear flaps and a little bobble on top. It was a present from Goku last year - hand made with help from some classmate, and it's lumpy and stupid looking and Sanzo secretly loves it, which Gojyo will never ever let him forget.

"Fuck off." Sanzo scowls at him and takes the hat and his coat off.

"So good to see the holidays bringing out the best in you." 

He follows Sanzo to the kitchen, where Sanzo puts the bag of food they brought on the table. It's not much, because Sanzo's food is usually bland and Goku doesn't have the attention span, or the willpower not to eat everything as soon as it's done. So they get put in charge of things like salad and whipped cream and cranberry sauce. 

"My holidays would be exponentially better if I didn't have to put up with your stupidity," Sanzo grumbles. He takes Gojyo's seat and starts chopping the vegetables.

"But Sanzo, you're Buddhist, you don't celebrate Christmas," Gojyo teases as he unloads the bag and gets another knife and cutting board out.

"Yeah, well, I'm only here for the pie."

"That's the spirit Sanzo," Goku says, coming in from arranging the presents under the tree. "Christmas is all about being happy no matter what, so you're, like the embodiment of Christmas spirit right now."

Even Hakkai laughs a little louder than usual at that. "I think the three of us become more and more like the Ghosts of Christmas every year."

"Yeah, and Sanzo gets more like Scrooge, pre-ghosts, every year," Gojyo says.

"In that case, I guess I can stop buying you gifts."

"You say that every year, asshole. I'll believe it when I see it."

"Hakkai can we have pie now?" Goku asks.

"Maybe I should just start by taking away the one I got you this year," Sanzo tells Gojyo.

"They're not done yet, Goku," Hakkai says patiently. Goku begins to whine about the apple pies, and Gojyo and Sanzo fall into an argument that Gojyo is pretty sure they repeat word for word every Christmas. It's totally normal and stupidly domestic. 

These assholes are the closest thing Gojyo's ever really had to a family, and some days they make him want to bash his head in, or theirs, but other days he's pretty sure he couldn't live without them. And from what he can tell, that's exactly what a family is supposed to be like, so he wouldn't really have it any other way.

\-----

"Gojyo and Goku have been oddly quiet, don't you think?" Hakkai says to Sanzo.

Sanzo just grunts.

Hakkai sighs and looks at him. "They've been in the living room for almost an hour and I've only heard one argument."

Sanzo looks over the top of his paper at Hakkai, and then sighs heavily. "I'll go check on them," he mutters, setting the paper down.

"Thank you," Hakkai says. He rolls his eyes slightly when Sanzo turns away. It's not like he's asking Sanzo for the shirt off his back.

And it's not like he doesn't appreciate the quiet as much as Sanzo does, it's just that when Gojyo and Goku get this quiet inside it usually means they're asleep or they're planning something destructive. 

"I was hoping both of you would come and see what we were up to," Gojyo says from the doorway.

Hakkai smiles at him. "I'm sure you don’t need the supervision."

Gojyo laughs. "You mean we'd _better not_ need the supervision." He crosses the kitchen and puts his arms around Hakkai's waist. "You almost done? The Christmas Castle is ready."

Hakkai chuckles. "'Christmas Castle?'"

"Goku named it, but don't worry, it's still cool. You'll love it. Put down the yam."

"It's the last one, give me a moment."

Gojyo nods and opens the fridge to get out the eggnog and start heating it over the stove. He pulls down mugs and rum from a cabinet.

"It's a little early, don't you think?" Hakkai asks.

Gojyo grins. "It's Christmas. We can indulge. And it's eggnog, so it barely counts."

"That’s not how it works, Gojyo."

"No?" Gojyo considers the rum, then pours a little more into the eggnog. "It should be."

Hakkai laughs and finishes cutting up the yam. He dumps the pieces into the tray with the other vegetables to be baked tomorrow, then covers it with aluminum and puts it in the fridge.

"Alright," he says, turning back to Gojyo. "Let's see this Christmas Castle."

Gojyo grins and finishes the eggnog. "Grab the cookies," he says as he pours some into mugs, and the rest into a pitcher. He takes all four mugs and Hakkai follows him into the living room with the pitcher and the cookies.

"Ta-da!" Gojyo says as they reach the living room.

It's been turned into a blanket fort. Nearly the entire living room, which is actually quite impressive. Hakkai stares at it for a few moments, taking in the way they've looped the blanket over the couch - divested of all it's pillows - and the armchair, and somehow secured a corner to the tree and above the fireplace. Hakkai can smell wood smoke, which means there's also a fire going, but it's not too strong.

"You remembered to open the flue," he says, and Gojyo laughs. 

"Yeah, and shut the grate most of the way. It's so warm in there, it's like heaven. All it needs is an angel," he adds, giving Hakkai a wink and a grin.

Hakkai gives him an unimpressed look in return. "That was a terrible line, Gojyo. How many is that today?"

"Two. I'm slacking. You liked it."

"I'm not getting in the stupid fort if you two are going to be disgusting idiots," Sanzo says from the balcony, flicking his cigarette butt away.

"Stop tellin' lies anyway, Gojyo." Goku's head pops out from what Hakkai can only assume is the entrance. "What this place really needs to be heaven is pizza."

Hakkai laughs. "Will cookies do until we order pizza?"

"Hell yeah," Goku says, making grabby motions at the cookies.

Gojyo drops to his knees, "Take a mug, punk."

Goku grumbles but pulls two mugs into the fort with him. Gojyo grins at Hakkai and follows him in. Hakkai smiles, and looks at Sanzo. 

"You sure you won't come in?" He asks. "There's eggnog, with rum, and cookies. Pizza later. And I'm sure it's quite warm."

Sanzo sighs heavily and rolls his eyes. "Whatever." He kneels and says to all of them, "I'm only coming in if one pizza gets pineapple on it."

Hakkai follows him as Gojyo makes a gagging noise and says, "Half of a pizza. That's disgusting."

"I'm afraid I must also insist on at least one vegetable on all pizzas," Hakkai says as he enters the fort. It's big enough to fit both of the twin mattresses from the guest room side-by-side, tucked together with a sheet for Gojyo and Hakkai's bed. There's room on the sides of the armchair, where they've turned a couple laundry baskets upside down to serve as tables. There's a deck of cards and a mahjong set on one, and what looks like every pillow in the house strewn about. Gojyo has his back against the couch, Goku is by the entrance, and Sanzo is next to the fire. 

"I'm impressed," Hakkai tells them. "But…where will Sanzo and Goku sleep tonight?"

"We can all sleep in here!" Goku says.

"Or we can put the mattresses back later," says Gojyo. "But we'll with that later. C'mon, let's play." He sets his arm on the couch, a clear invitation, and Hakkai smiles.

"Alright." He climbs in and settles next to Gojyo and opens the cookies.

The next few hours pass in warm, lazy contentment. They order a few pizzas before the place closes early (Hakkai does make them get vegetables but no one complains much), play several rounds of poker and mahjong (Hakkai wins and they do complain), and drink a lot of eggnog. Hakkai's pretty sure Gojyo's adding more rum with every batch he makes, but it's making the fort even warmer and extra cozy, so he doesn't say anything.

Around 10, Gojyo and Goku whine enough that Hakkai and Sanzo allow them to empty their stockings.

"What are you, eight?" Sanzo sneers.

"Sure, if it gets me a buncha' candy," says Goku, sucking on a lollipop already. 

"The hell kind of eight year old would you give cherry-flavored lube to?" Gojyo asks, sticking his tongue out and waggling the bottle at Sanzo, because he really is eight years old. "And don't try to pin it on Hakkai, I already know he's the one who put the socks in here, and Goku would probably try to eat this stuff first."

"Fuck you," says Goku. "I know exactly what lube is for, and cherry flavored is nasty. And also ironic." He and Gojyo start to giggle.

Sanzo sighs, looking irritated. "I should fucking hope he knows what lube is for, he brings enough strange men and women home at all hours of the day and night."

Gojyo laughs harder at that. "Maybe we oughta start putting the condoms in his stocking."

"Don't buy me condoms," Goku whines. "It's weird." He gets a mischievous glint in his eye. "'Sides, you'd buy 'em too small."

Hakkai hides his chuckle while Gojyo chokes on his eggnog and Sanzo snaps, "Too much information!"

"Oh, Sanzo," Hakkai says. "It's Christmas. We should be encouraging Goku to share. The spirit of the holiday, remember?"

Gojyo positively howls at that, and Sanzo gives him a beleaguered look. Goku's blushing a bit, but he grins around the lollipop and says, "Sharing is caring, and that's the whole point of Christmas," before dissolving into laughter.

Hakkai just grins and bites off a piece of peppermint bark.

There's the customary argument over what to watch on Gojyo's laptop. Hakkai makes popcorn and more strong eggnog while Gojyo and Goku bicker and Sanzo actually calls them both heathens for not wanting to watch Miracle on 34th Street. They're still arguing when he returns, so Hakkai quietly takes the computer and pulls up A Charlie Brown Christmas, just like he does every year, and sets the laptop on a laundry basket. They stop making noise at the sound of _Christmastime is Here_ and settle in.

Sanzo pulls a blanket over himself and puts a pillow down, laying on his back. He rarely watches movies, just listens to them and looks at the ceiling. He usually falls asleep during the second movie of the night, whatever it ends up being. Goku settles in next to him with his legs crossed, Jeep curled in his lap, purring contentedly. He's careful to only pet the cat with the hand he doesn't use for popcorn. Gojyo piles up several pillows to lean on and pulls Hakkai to his chest.

"Fort wasn't a bad idea, huh?" He mutters as the kids skate around the pond. 

Hakkai hums. "Very cozy. Even Sanzo is relaxed."

"That may have something to do with the rum, too," Gojyo chuckles.

"Well, yes. But I still like the fort. We should do this every year."

"Another tradition?"

"Mm."

"Yeah." Gojyo's arms tighten around Hakkai briefly. "That sounds good."

"Good." Even after years of building and carrying out these traditions, Hakkai hasn't stopped finding comfort in their rituals. It feels good to wake up on Christmas Eve and make four pies; feels good listen to Gojyo and Goku shout and Sanzo grumble; feels good to exchange gifts and food with their friends. But mostly it feels good to know he'll get to do it again next year. 

\-----

Sanzo isn't cold when he wakes up, at least. Goku is curled against his back, snoring into Sanzo's neck. It's not a horrible way to wake up, and it certainly isn't unusual. It's what he gets for letting these idiots drag him into a pillow fort anyway. 

He sits up slowly. Goku snuffles and rolls into the nearest heat source - Hakkai, laying on his back with Gojyo's face tucked into his neck. Hakkai's eyes open when Sanzo sits up, and he smiles sleepily.

"Good morning," he whispers.

Sanzo just nods back before crawling out of the fort. He pulls on a pair of slippers and a sweater laying on the back of the bare couch, already shivering. It's snowing outside, and Sanzo snorts quietly. _Cliché._ He swipes his cigarettes and lighter from the coffee table and goes out the sliding door.

Cliché or not, the balcony is silent and the view is beautiful, even Sanzo can admit it. The sky is turning grey-blue, predawn light edging through the trees that surround all the groups of condos. Gojyo and Hakkai's faces the lake out back, and the second floor balcony just allows Sanzo to see the glint of the lake, the lit up houses that are right next to it, the little docks that jut out. There is almost no noise - of course there is ambient noise from the roads not too far away, and if he strains he can hear the water, but the snow muffles everything until even Sanzo can delude himself into believing that the silence is dense, unbroken and pure.

He sighs and lights his cigarette. Well, if there's one thing Christmas is good for, it's getting everyone and everything to shut the hell up, at least in the morning. He's not sure this could get any better, actually.

Sanzo enjoys the silence and his cigarette for a few minutes. He's starting to get a little cold, even with the enormous sweater on (he's pretty sure it's Gojyo's, ugh), when the sliding door opens again. Sanzo looks over his shoulder. It's Hakkai, with coffee. He doesn't say anything, just joins Sanzo at the railing, close enough to bump elbows, and sets a mug in front of him. It melts the thin layer of snow around it until Sanzo picks it up and takes a sip. Ah. Now the morning is better.

Hakkai doesn’t speak, enjoying the silence as much as Sanzo is. Sanzo's glad. Maybe the other idiots--

The door opens again. Sanzo sighs. He doesn't even turn to find out who it is. They'll make noise soon enough and he'll know. 

A blanket settles over his shoulders. "Mornin'," Gojyo says. Sanzo watches him press himself against Hakkai's back, wrapping his own blanket around both of them, settling in with his head against Hakkai's. And then he's quiet. They're both smiling softly, Hakkai with his eyes closed and Gojyo watching the snow. They look like idiots. Happy idiots. Sanzo rolls his eyes and pulls the blanket Gojyo brought more tightly around himself. The two of them are close enough on his left that he can feel their warmth on his arm, and the blanket is big and thick, reaching all the way to his ankles. 

And it's still quiet. Sanzo can hear Gojyo and Hakkai breathing, but that's it. They're not whispering or kissing or trying to engage him in conversation. It doesn't even feel like he can hear their no-doubt stupid, lovey thoughts from here, which he swears sometimes he can. 

Even when Goku wanders outside, rubbing his eyes and yawning, things are quiet. He has a blanket as well, and a cup of coffee, and he moves to Sanzo's other side, brushing snow off the railing before pulling himself up to sit on it. He's even closer than Gojyo and Hakkai, his body a line of warmth against Sanzo's arm. He leans heavily on Sanzo, half asleep, staring at the snow and sipping his coffee.

And it's - well, it's nice. It's peaceful, and easy, and even though the bodies on either side of him are closer than he would normally allow, Sanzo doesn't mind having them there. A part of him thinks that he maybe even likes it. Not that he'd tell them, because they're idiots and it would give them the wrong idea about…everything. But even if it's just because he's gotten used to having their sorry asses around - and that's a terrifying thought - Sanzo realizes that even though he could enjoy the silence and the snow and the coffee just fine without them, he enjoys it actually more with them. 

The thought makes him scowl.

"Merry Christmas, guys," Goku says suddenly, very quiet.

"Merry Christmas, squirt," Gojyo says. For once, Goku doesn't even complain about the nickname.

Hakkai hums. "Merry Christmas everyone."

Sanzo gives a little sigh. "Merry Christmas." He pauses. "Morons."

No one objects.

**Author's Note:**

> I figured Gojyo and Hakkai run a little remodeling business or something, Goku is studying something like physical therapy, and I don't know what the hell Sanzo does for money. If anyone is wondering, Gojyo wants to watch _A Christmas Story_ and Goku wants to watch _Die Hard._ Because Christmas.


End file.
